May 20, 2005 13: 10 EST“After we heard the news of our Italian mate dying on Annapurna, we can find no motivation to go there either,” reports Inaki Ochoa de Olza. “The peak will remain there for another time.”

“All six climbers on Dhaulagiri have agreed to abort the expedition. The mountain is overloaded with snow and climbing it poses lethal risks that we cannot assume anymore. Conditions are not changing soon, and we are running out of time."

Out of time on killer mountains

"On our way back from our last summit bid, we learned of Christian Kuntner’s death on Annapurna, just 20 km away from us. Sadly, 8000ers can be killer mountains.”

“I hope I’ll be back next fall… Perhaps on Shisha Pangma.”

Italians Romano Benet, Nives Meroi, Luca Vuerich, Austrian Christan Stangl, Spaniard Inaki Ochoa, and Ecuadorian Ivan Vallejo were climbing Dhaulagiri. Most of them planned to head for Annapurna immediately afterwards. However, they have aborted that climb as well.

Mario Cedolin, Erri De Luca, Cesare Giuliani, and Roberto Allo; Slovenian Klemen Gricar, also part of the international team, left the mountain days ago.